Montana Republicans ban trans rep from attending or speaking during House sessions
Montana state Rep. Zooey Zephyr First term Democratic state Rep. Zooey Zephyr, a transgender woman, was not expelled by her colleagues in the Montana House of Representatives today (Wednesday, April 26).
But House members did vote to punish her by banning her not just from speaking during House sessions — she hasn’t been allowed to speak on the floor of the House since Thursday, April 20 — but also banning her from the chamber completely, forcing her to vote remotely during the remaining days of the session.
The public gallery was closed during today’s proceedings. “If you use decorum to silence people who hold you accountable, all you are doing is using decorum as a tool of oppression,” Zephyr said during today’s debate.
Montana’s House Minority Leader Kim Abbott says her caucus will hold Republicans accountable for their “anti-democratic agenda.” What was it she did that so totally ruffled Republican feathers and offended their sense of decorum?
